Jefferson Davis Parish () is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 32,250. The

parish seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...

Jennings Jennings is a surname of early medieval English origin (also the Anglicised version of the Irish surnames Mac Sheóinín or MacJonin). Notable people with the surname include: *Jennings (Swedish noble family) A–G *Adam Jennings (born 1982), A ...

. Jefferson Davis Parish is named after the president of the Confederacy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

. It is located in southwestern Louisiana and forms a part of the

Acadiana Acadiana (; French language, French and Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''L'Acadiane'' or ''Acadiane''), also known as Cajun Country (Cajun French language, Louisiana French: ''Pays des Cadiens''), is the official name given to the ...

region.

History

Jefferson Davis Parish was one of the last parishes to be organized in the state of Louisiana. It was originally a part of Imperial Calcasieu Parish, which contributed to five other parishes as the population increased in the area. The bill creating Jefferson Davis Parish was passed by the state legislature in 1912 but did not take effect until 1913. Jefferson Davis Parish is part of the large, 22-parish

region of Louisiana, which is influenced by a large Francophone population. It was named after

, a prominent planter and the

President of the Confederate States of America The president of the Confederate States was the head of state and head of government of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States. The president was the chief executive of the federal government and commander-in-chief of the Confederate A ...

. The first oil in Louisiana was drilled in 1901 in Evangeline, Acadia Parish, by W. Scott Heywood, who in 1932 was elected to the

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

. The oil field was known as the Jennings Oil Field because Jennings was the nearest railroad stop to the oil field. The parish was affected by

Hurricane Rita Hurricane Rita was the most intense tropical cyclone on record in the Gulf of Mexico, tying with Hurricane Milton in 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, 2024, as well as being the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Part of the ...

in 2005, causing flooding and wind damage.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. Jefferson Davis Parish comprises five incorporated towns including Elton, Fenton, Jennings, Lake Arthur, and Welsh. There are also many unincorporated areas that add to the interest and economic structure of the parish including Barnsdall, Buller, China, Coverdale, Edna, Fontenot, Foreman's Hall, Hathaway, Illinois Plant, Lacassine, Lauderdale, Panchoville, Pine Island, Raymond, Roanoke, Silverwood, Thornwell, Topsy, Verret, and Woodlawn.

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

runs east and west through the center of the parish, providing access to local markets. Additionally, the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad is a Railroad classes, Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United Stat ...

is centrally located within the parish and the Mermentau River, which connects to the

Intracoastal Waterway The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a Navigability, inland waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States, running from Massachusetts southward along the Atlantic Seaboard and around the southern tip of Florida, the ...

and has a channel depth of nine feet, provides access to the Port of Mermentau. The Jennings Airport, with a runway length of , is capable of landing a small jet and is located next to Interstate 10. Jefferson Davis Parish also attracts sportsmen to the Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge.

Adjacent parishes

* Allen Parish (north) * Evangeline Parish (northeast) * Acadia Parish (east) * Vermilion Parish (southeast) * Cameron Parish (south) * Calcasieu Parish (west) * Beauregard Parish (northwest)

Transportation

Major highways

* U.S. Highway 90 * U.S. Highway 165 * U.S. Highway 190 * Louisiana Highway 14 * Louisiana Highway 26 * Louisiana Highway 97 * Louisiana Highway 99 * Louisiana Highway 101 * Louisiana Highway 102 * Louisiana Highway 380 * Louisiana Highway 382 * Louisiana Highway 395 *

Louisiana Highway 1130 Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25th ...

* Louisiana Highway 3055

Airports

* Jennings, (3R7) * Welsh

Communities

City

(parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns

Elton Elton may refer to: Places England * Elton, Cambridgeshire (formerly Huntingdonshire), a village ** Elton Hall, a baronial hall * Elton, Cheshire, a village and civil parish * Elton, County Durham, a village and civil parish in the Borough of ...

* Lake Arthur * Welsh

Village

* Fenton

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated places

* Hathaway * Lacassine * Roanoke

Unincorporated communities

Barnsdall Barnsdall is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,034. History The community was founded in 1905 and originally named Bigheart, for the Osage Chief James Bigheart. It was ...

* Buller *

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

* Edna * Fontenot * Foreman's Hall * Gravel Point *

Lauderdale Lauderdale is the valley of the Leader Water (a tributary of the River Tweed, Tweed) in the Scottish Borders. It contains the town of Lauder, as well as Earlston. The valley is traversed from end to end by the A68 road, A68 trunk road, which run ...

* Niblett * Panchoville * Pine Island *

Raymond Raymond is a male given name of Germanic origin. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷ� ...

* Silverwood * Thornwell * Topsy * Verrett * Woodlawn

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 32,250 people, 11,726 households, and 8,149 families residing in the parish.

Education

Jefferson Davis Parish Public Schools operates the schools in the parish. * Elton Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Elton) * Elton High School (Grades 6–12) (Elton) * Fenton Elementary School (Grades PK-8) (Fenton) * Hathaway High School (Grades K-12) (Jennings) * Jennings Elementary School (Grades 3–6) (Jennings) * Jennings High School (Grades 7–12) (Jennings) *

Lacassine High School Lacassine High School is a K-12 school in Lacassine, Louisiana, Lacassine, unincorporated area, unincorporated Jeff Davis Parish, Louisiana. It is a part of Jeff Davis Parish Public Schools. The first school in Lacassine opened in 1907. ...

(Grades K-12) (Lacassine) * Lake Arthur Elementary School (Grades PK-6) (Lake Arthur) * Lake Arthur High School (Grades 7–12) (Lake Arthur) * James Ward Elementary School (Grades PK-2) (Jennings) * Welsh Elementary School (Grades PK-5) (Welsh) * Welsh High School (Grades 8–12) (Welsh) * Welsh-Roanoke Jr. High School (Grades 6–8) (Roanoke) Jeff Davis Parish is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette which has one school in the parish: * Our Lady Immaculate (Grades PK-8) (Jennings) Jeff Davis Parish is served by one institution of higher education: * It is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College. The Morgan Smith campus is located in Jennings.

National Guard

C Company 3-156TH Infantry Battalion resides in Jennings, Louisiana. This unit as part of the 256th IBCT deployed twice to

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

in 2004—5 and 2010.

Notable people

* A.C. Clemons (1921-1992), former Louisiana state senator from 1960 to 1972 * Al Woods (born 1987), current

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

player for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

of the NFL * Thomas A. "Tom" Greene (born 1948), former Louisiana state senator from 1992 to 2000 * Travis Etienne (born 1999), current

player for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...

of the NFL * Cleve Francis (born 1945), country music singer, songwriter, and cardiologist * Monte Ledbetter (1943-2020), former

player in the NFL * Eugene John Hebert (1923-1990), priest and Jesuit missionary who famously disappeared in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

in 1990 during the Sri Lankan civil war * Canray Fontenot (1922-1995), American Creole musician * Lance Guidry (born 1971),

coach,

defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...

at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

* Charles Mann (born 1944), singer and

swamp pop Swamp pop is a music genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s by young Cajuns and Creoles, it combines New Orleans–style rhythm and blues, Country music, countr ...

performer and member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame * Jack Doland (1928-1991), former Louisiana state senator and head football coach, athletic director, and president of McNeese State University * Chancy Croft (born 1937), former Democratic politician from

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

* Avalon Daggett (1907-2002), filmmaker and philanthropist * June James (1962-1990), former

player in the NFL and CFL * Pat Rapp (born 1967), former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player * Guy Sockrider (1921-2011), former

state senator * Donald Ellsworth Walter (born 1936), former United States district judge of the

United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (in case citations, W.D. La.) is a United States federal court with jurisdiction over approximately two thirds of the state of Louisiana, with courts in Alexandria, Lafayette ...

* Phillip Walker (1937-2010), musician * Troy Romero, current Louisiana State Representative from the 37th district

Politics

For most of the 20th Century, Jeff Davis was a Democratic-leaning parish, voting Republican only in landslide elections such as

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

and

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

. However, like other Acadian parishes with large

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...

populations, Jeff Davis turned sharply right in the 21st century based on cultural issues and Democrats' discomfort with the oil and gas industry.

References

External links

Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Office

Jefferson Davis Parish Economic Development & Tourist Commission
Geology * Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2002
''Lake Charles 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''
Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. * Heinrich, P. V., J. Snead, and R. P. McCulloh, 2003
''Crowley 30 x 60 minute geologic quadrangle.''
Louisiana Geological Survey, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Hydrology
Water Resources of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

. {{Authority control Louisiana parishes Parishes in Acadiana Acadiana 1913 establishments in Louisiana Populated places established in 1913